LGBTQ representatives arrested in Chechnya complain of beatings

LGBTQ representatives Salekh Magamadov and Ismail Isaev, who are in custody in Chechnya, complained about torture and beatings. This was reported by the "Caucasian Knot" with reference to the lawyer of the young men Alexander Nemov.

Earlier, the defender was not allowed into the pre-trial detention center to see Magamadov and Isaev. The security forces stated that the young people were sick with the coronavirus, but did not provide the lawyer with any documents confirming this.

On August 20, Nemov managed to meet with his clients — they said that in July they were brought to court in the trunk of a UAZ Patriot car. From the heat, Magamadov and Isaev became ill. There was no ventilation, in response to a request to open the windows they began to be insulted. Then Isaev, who demanded to stop the insults, was beaten. The meeting that day did not take place - the accused were simply taken back to the pre-trial detention center in the luggage compartment.

Magamadov and Isaev are charged under the article on participation in an illegal armed formation (part 2 of article 208 of the Criminal Code). According to investigators, the young people allegedly handed over a package of juice, a box of tea, a chocolate bar, three loaves of bread, one kilogram of buckwheat and other products to the militant Rustam Borchashvili, who was killed in the fall of 2020.

The accused are kept in punishment cells converted into standard cells. The Russian LGBT Network believes that those arrested are in danger. In March, Novaya Gazeta reported that relatives of the accused were being forced to commit "honour killings."

• Chechen youths were detained on the afternoon of February 4 in Nizhny Novgorod. On that day, one of them called the emergency assistance coordinator of the “Russian LGBT Network” and told that unknown people were trying to get into their place of residence, the screams of strangers were heard on the phone. After that, their whereabouts were unknown for some time, until they were found at the police station in Chechnya. Young people said that police officers brought printed confessions and forced them to memorize. These statements were included in the criminal case.
• On February 7, it became known that the deported Chechens were forced to refuse human rights assistance. On February 8, the ECHR ordered Russia to allow doctors, independent lawyers and relatives to see them. On March 23, the case was transferred to the Investigation Department for Chechnya. Human rights activists believe that this happened due to the statement of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia after numerous complaints.
• The Russian LGBT Network helped young people move from Chechnya to Nizhny Novgorod after they and six others were forced to apologize on camera in April 2020 for moderating the telegram channel Osal Nakh 95, which criticized the government. Videos with their apologies were then published in local telegram chats. According to the human rights organization, the young people were forced to apologize by torture and humiliation.